Collins Primary Thesaurus. Collins Dictionaries

that hurt!” I said. “Serves you right!” came the retort.

      appear VERB

      When something appears, it moves from somewhere you could not see it to somewhere you can see it.

      come into sight

      A woolly mammoth came into sight, lumbering from behind the rock.

      come into view

      A triceratops came into view, its serrated back appearing over the ridge.

      emerge

      Emerging from his bedroom, my lazy brother rubbed his eyes.

      loom

      The gigantic airship blotted out the sun as it loomed nearer.

      ➔ See arrive

      area (1) NOUN

      An area is a particular part of a place, country or the world.

      community

      We live in a friendly community, with lots going on.

      district

      It was a poor district, where litter and street crime were a problem.

      neighbourhood

      In our neighbourhood, everybody helps one another.

      region

      This region of Italy is famous for its pizzas.

      zone

      That zone is open only to airport staff.

      area (2) NOUN

      Area can mean the measurement of a flat surface.

      extent

      From the top of the tower, Jamie could see the extent of the city.

      size

      “What size of paper shall I use?” Dani asked.

      area (3) NOUN

      The area of a piece of ground or surface is the amount of space it covers.

      expanse

      When Noah looked from his ark, all he saw was a huge expanse of water.

      patch INFORMAL

      The police officer said he would miss the people in his patch when he retired.

      plot

      My parents bought a plot of land, hoping to build a house there.

      stretch

      You can see otters on this stretch of the river.

      argue (1) VERB

      If you argue with someone about something, you disagree with them about it, sometimes in an angry way.

      bicker

      My sisters are always bickering at the table.

      disagree

      Simon and Sanjiv disagreed passionately about which team would win.

      fall out

      Hazel and I fell out when she broke her promise to keep my secret.

      have a difference of opinion

      The two neighbours had a difference of opinion over who owned the fence.

      have an argument

      Dad and Mum had an argument about whose turn it was to get up and see to the baby.

      quarrel

      Jack and Wilbur quarrelled over land, and their two families have not spoken since.

      row Rhymes with “cow”

      The couple next door were always rowing. Now they’ve gone we’ll get some peace!

      squabble

      “Stop squabbling, you two!” Mum said, exasperated. “You’ll both get a turn.”

      argue (2) VERB

      If you argue that something is true, you give reasons why you think that it is.

      assert

      The prisoner continues to assert his innocence.

      claim

      Mervyn claimed he was the lost King of Albania, but nobody believed him.

      debate

      “I think we’ll be debating this issue forever!” joked Mrs Evans.

      hold

      Before 1492, many people held that the earth was flat.

      maintain

      Columbus always maintained that the earth was round, and proceeded to prove it.

      put the case

      In the debate, Scarlet put the case for hunting and I opposed it.

      reason

      Mum tried to reason with my little brother, but it was a waste of time.

      argument (1) NOUN

      An argument is a talk between people who do not agree.

      barney INFORMAL

      Kayla and I had a bit of a barney, but we soon made up.

      difference of opinion

      Panna and Liz had a difference of opinion over which team would win.

      disagreement

      The tennis players had a disagreement about whether the service was in or out.

      dispute

      The long-running dispute between the two neighbours ended in a court case.

      feud

      Occasionally, the feud between the Campbell clan and the MacDonald clan erupted into violence.

      fight

      Two girls in our class got into a fight over a missing purse.

      quarrel

      The quarrel started when Colin was left out of the team in favour of Barry.

      row Rhymes with “cow”

      I was upstairs in my room when the row between Dad and Grandad started.

      squabble

      It was a silly squabble over who would sleep in the top bunk.

       A formal talk between people who do not agree is a debate.

      argument (2) NOUN

      An argument is a point or set of reasons you use to convince people about something.

      case

      The barrister set out the case for the prosecution.

      grounds

      The judge decided there were no grounds on which to find the defendant guilty.

      reason

      Guy Fawkes was asked to give his reasons for wishing to blow up Parliament.

      armour NOUN

      Armour is special metal clothing that soldiers wore in the past for protection.

      Pieces of armour:

      breastplate

      gauntlet

      helmet

      visor

      army NOUN

      An army is a large group of soldiers who are trained to fight on land.

       Military means